Rumour: iOS 12 to allow for iPhone apps on desktop Macs

Apple is known for its inclusive ecosystem, often being the deciding factor for returning customers. It seems that the company might be about to take this one step further, as iOS 12 is rumoured to allow developers to create iPhone applications that are compatible with macOS.

This comes as one of the first steps in Apple’s reportedly redesigned update schedule, that will now be focusing on a two-year software roadmap instead of the annual one developers have previously had to abide by. Updates will continue to come out yearly, but with a greater focus on stability and polished features rather than the sheer number of new additions year-on-year.

Despite its focus on shedding the added weight, Bloomberg’s Mark Guttman gives details on the rumoured features incoming to its next iPhone update, codenamed ‘Peace’. This will supposedly fold into its upcoming macOS 10.14 update, aptly codenamed ‘Liberty’, in order to enable third-party applications to work across all modern Apple devices, from iPhones to iPads to full Mac computers.

One of the other features inbound for iOS 12 is the long in development Animoji animations in FaceTime. Animoji has previously been exclusive to the iPhone X due to its use of the TrueDepth camera, which helps enable Face ID authentication, giving users animations that mimic the user’s facial expressions. This will also arrive on iPad, if reports prove to be true, as Apple is expected to launch a revised iPad with a TrueDepth front-facing camera.

While there are many more features still in the works for this upcoming update, such as the awaited a Digital Health app, it’s possible that some might see a delay until the following year in order to ensure the final release is polished. This is to combat Android’s increasingly stable platform and mitigate Apple tripping over its own feet due to scheduling.

KitGuru Says: Apple seems to consider the majority of the bugs on its platforms as something caused by tight scheduling. If this is the case, future iOS updates will start looking healthier as soon as next year, but will the user base be okay missing out on the amount of features it’s used to? And will it have an impact user attitude regarding upgrades? What do you think?